Rotary tool for deep wells.



e. meam, BOTAEY TOOL FOR EEP WELLS.'

APPLIGAIOH ?ILED SEPT. 15, 1913.'

Patenta& Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 1.

IN VENTOR, Claude Moore WITNESSES A TTORNE Y l of modified forms of the CLAUDE MODHE, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY TOOL FOR DEEP WELLS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

\ Application filed September 15, 1913. Serial Ne. ?88,818.

To aZZ wioh it may concern:

*Be it known that I, CLAUDE Moom a c' izen of the United States, residing at Taft, in the County of Kern and State of California, lhave invented new and useful Improvemeits in Rotary Tools for Deep lVells, of wl ich the following is a specification.

The objec of the present invention is to provide a tool to be used in deep welis, such as oil wells, to unscrew or tighten up one or more pipes, or a collar, from or to a string of pipes, or, in a` wellof open formation, to turn a pipe, or a string of pipes, to the right or left, to loosen it up when it has become stuck or frozen. i

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a broken vertical section of a well casing, showing my improved tool therein; Fig. 2 is an cnlarged similar view of a portion of the same, showing more particularly in sid elevation a rotary driver; Fig. 3 is a similar View showing more particularly in side ele- Vation a stationary guide; Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections on the lines espectively 4- -4 of Fig. 2, and 5 5 of Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and 'I' are detail views of parts of the ap paratus; Fig. S is an enlarged detailed vertical section on the line 8 `S of Fig. l; Figs. 9, 10 and ll are views similar to Fig.

invention.

Beferring to the drawing, l indicates a well casing in the part of which below that shown in the drawing may he a string of ppes, or th'like, to which my improved tool is to be applied. in the uppler part ot' said casing is a tube which is connected by a collar 3 to a tube l, which can slide through a guide 6; and is 'connected a's shown at 7, to a tubular sten 8, the lower part of which can slide in a rotary driver 9. nto the lower end of said tubular sten, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, is screwed a tub ular screw 11, having a head sniicientlv wide to extend beyond the circumference of the stem 9, and form a support for the rotary driver. The lower end of said driver is reduced in diameter, and is threaded e'xternally, as shown at 13, so that said lower end can, by the. rotary movement of the driver, be screwed into the npper end of a pipe or collar, and thus said driver can be used to unscrew said pipe or collar from, or screw it to, another pipe or string of pipes.

In the outer surface of the driver are two upwardly extending series of recesses 14 in each of which recesses are Secured by screws' 16 springs 17, (Fig. 4 which press against the outer end of a pin 18, slidable through a hole 19 fol-med in the wall of the driver, and the inner end of which pin is adapted to be prcssed by said springs inwardly beyond its inner surface. When so extending inwardly, each pin is adapted to enter i one of two helical grooves 21 forned in the outer sur-` face of the tubular sten 8. Thus, if said tuhular stern be given a vertical reciprocaticn, and at the same time be prevented from rotating horizontaliy, a rotary movement will be imparted by said pins to the driver, in the manner of the well known Yankee drill and screw-driver.

o so prevent the sten from rotating, I provide a cylindrical guide 6, surrounding the tube 4. The outer surface of this guide is forned with upper and lower cireular series of recesses 24:, having undercut sides,

of which recesses there are here shown three in each series. i The bottoms of said recesses slope away from the outer surface of the guide, that is, one end of each recess is nearer to the axis of the cylindrical guide than the other end, and said bottoms slope in opposite directions in the two series. In each recess is employed a wedge 26, (Fig. 5) each wedge having beveled. sides fitting closely against the undercut sides of the recesses. After said wedges are placed in said recesses,'they are retained thei-ein by means of pins 97 extending through Slots 28 in` the wedges and driven into the tubular guide. On the outer side of said wedges are formed teeth 29, which point backwardly, or toward the thick end of the wedge. As best shown in Fig. 3, the edges of these teeth are curved convexly, so 'that only the middle portions of the teeth engage the pipe casing. The efi'ect of this is tha@ when the guide is let down with the tuhe into the pipe casing, if the teeth come in contact with the casing, the wedges are caused *to slide lengthwise into the recess. Certainly, they have no tendency to move outward while the guide is moving downward into position. Now as soon as the stem is turned in either direction, the engagement of the teeth of the wedges of one of the two series with the inner surface of the casing causes said wedges to slide in the opposite direction from that in whichthe sten is `turned, and thus the wedges of one or the other of the two series toward the deep ends of'the recesses.

will be moved toward the narrow end of the recesses, and will thus be still more firmly wedged between the guide' and the "ner surface of the casing.

casing, so that the guide is held rigidly to the easing by the wedges of one of the two series This engagement will not prevent the guide from'being withdrawn upwardly,

because, by such Upward movement, the pres sure of the casing upon the teeth of the wedges will only cause the wedges to slide To hold the guide temporarily in position,

before it has been Secured bythe slight rotary movement of the 'stern produced -by its reciprocation through the driver at'the beginning of, the "work, there are provided spring fingers 31, the lower `ends of which are connected to a band 32, rotatable in a grove 33 form'ed in the guide, and'the upper portion of which presses against the in'- For the purpose-of guiding the tube 4 in the 'guide 6, sadtubeis formed on its outer surface with'a vertical keyway 34, and the guide is formed on'itsinner surface with a groove 35, in which is. a key' 36,'which is pressed outward by sprin s 40 and can enter the keyway 84. i This ey 36 has in each side recesses 37, in which are received horizontal rollers 38, which, as the tube reciprocates vertically in the guide, rotate in contact with the sides of the groove 36 and keyinto the well, until the threaded portion 13 of the driver engages the upfper end of the part to which the tool is to be applied. The

fistem is then further lowered, the head of the screw 11` depending within the pipo or collar upon which the tool is being used.

The sprng" fingers 31 hold up the ide. while the "stem is so descending throug the driver. By the descent through the driver, by reason of the pins 18 engaging a helical groove 21 of the stem, the stem is at first given a slight rotary movement. Ths causes also the guide 6 to rotate slightly, causing the wedges 26 of one series to. enter the narrow ends of the recesses, s that the guide is 'ver quickly securedjto the casing "against -urt er rotation. Consequently the stem is now permitted to move in a vertical direction only, since a rotary movement is prevented bythe engagement bf the keyway V 34 with the rollers 38 of theykey 36.' By

this vertical reciprocation of'the stem a horibntal rotation is imparted to the 1- yer, thus'enablingit to perform ts'functon for office in releasng the pipe or collar.

Anygdesired form of fishing toolcan be', attached' ,to the' endpithe toel'here n sc'r'ihed' i I have herein shown twohelical grooves inthe stern, so that a `rotation can, by the reciprocating motion ofthe stern; be produced in"either direction desired. To further accomplish this object I provide, adjacent to each 'series of pins 18, a recess 41 in the inner surface of the driver, which re cess contains -a cent-roller 52, articu'larly shown in Fig. 7, and which lS normally pres'sed outward by springs 54, one end of each of which is Secured to the back of the recess, and which controller 52 has, extending at right angles therefrom, and close to a side of the recess, four fingers 56, each of which has therein a slot 57, through which passes a screw 58 screwedinto the side last mentioned of the 'ecess. Seid fingers are, as shown in Fig. 4, adapted to be moved by said springs 54 in front of the holes 19 through which the pins 18 can move, and thus the fingers are adapted to prevent said pins extendng inwardly through said holes, and to thus render said pins inoperative.

In said stern, both' above and below the'helii cal grooves therein, are formed two recesses 61, in each' of which can be received ,a spring-actuated dog 62, of which oneend is Secured to the stem, and the other end forms a hook arranged, when out of -said recess,

to engage the controller. When the stem is first passed into the driver, said pins 18 donot project inwardly past the inner surface of the driver, being prevented from doing so by the fingers of the controller. When the stem has been lowered in the driver to the proper level, it is turned in one direction 'or the other, and, in so turning, one or the other of the dogs cngages the back of the corresponding controller, and with` draws it against the pressure of the springs 54, thereby withdrawing the corresponding fingers from in front of their holes 19, so

that the pins of one series project inwardly H n into the driver. Thus only one series of pins will engage a helical groove in the stem, and produce rotation of the driver.

It is understood that the parts 'are so ar: ranged that the pins thus allowed to become operative Wlll be the proper ones for i 'i engaging a groove 21 for turning ethe driver in the direction required. Alsoit is understoo'd *that the pins of eachseres are ar- 'ran ed in a helx of pitch the same as that of t e cor-sponding gro'ove. p

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 9, the tube 4 is dispensed with and the keyway 34 is made inthe stem 8, the guide and the driver being placed. close together ,A

as likewise the'helical groove and ,key-

wa j i l hthe form of the invention 'shown in Fi'g.,--10,-the devi is tobe rotted in on' directioionly, and

'ins 18, andone h El hlffl 1,& 10,639

changing from one series of pins 18 'to the other series is, of course, dispensed With.

In Fig. 11 is shown a\ modification of the inventon in which the driver is also provieci with the wedg '26, so that said driver can engzige :l lower u ection ef a pipe, while the guide enqages, as before, by means of its wedges 26, :n npper section. Byt-his means seid sections, ii' screwcd together, can 'be unscrewed from one another, or converseiy.

l. An instrument for imparting a rotary motien within a weil cesing comprising a rotn'y driver, a verticaliy reciprocable stern extening coexiaiiy through said driver, said stern and driver having parte coengaging each other in the reeiprocnting movement of the stern, one of seid parts being heiicai, and means surrounding the sten, and arranged to engage said casing to prevent rottin of the sten while permitting its reciprocating movement.

2. An instrument for. imparting a rotary motion within &weil casng conprsing a rotary driver, a verticnily reciprocable stern extenng coaxiaiy through said driver, said stern and driver having parte coengngng each other in the reciproczting movement of the stern, one of said paris being helical, a guide, and wedges Carrie& by the guide and arran ed to engage the internal surface of the casing te prevent rotary movement of the stern.

An instrument for imparting a rotry :nation within a weil cnsing comprising a rotery ciriver, a vertically reciprocable stern extending coaxiaiiy through said driver, Saiti stern and driver having pnrts co-engaging each other in the reciproceting movement of the sten one ei said perts being heiical, a

guide, spring ngers can-ieri by the guide &na arranged to' contact' With the nner surface of the casing, wedges carried by the i 5. An instrument for imparting a' rotary F metionwthm a weli casng comprising a rotary driver, a verticaliy reciprocable stern extending coaxially through said driver, said stern and driver having parts coengnging each other in the reciprocatng movement' of the stern, one of said partslbeing helicaha guide, and wedges carried by the guide and having convex teethand arranged to engage the internal surface of the casing to prevent rotary movementof the stern.

6. An instrument for imparting a rotary motion within a weil casing comprising a rotary driver, e verticaliy reciprocable stem extending conxiaiiy through said driver, said stern end driver having parts coengaging each other in the reciprocating movement of the stem, one of seid parts being helicai, and a, guide having a groove in its inner surface, a. key in sai` "cove, andsprings for pressing said Key ont of said groove.

In testimony whereof I have herenn to set my hand in the presence of two subscrihing witnesses.

CLAUDE MOORE.

VVitnesses:

F. M. WEIGHT, D. B. RICHARD& 

